News for Restaurants in Los Angeles February 2017 Archive

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LOS ANGELES RESTAURANT NEWS - FEBRUARY 2017 Archive

OPENINGS

Copenhagen-based brewer Mikkel Borg Bjergsø and business partner Chuck Stilphen have already delivered ambitious taprooms/restaurants to cities like Reykjavik, San Francisco and Seoul. The duo took over a 100-year-old, 7,600-square-foot building in downtown L.A. to open Mikkeller Bar. Mikkeller Bar, 330 W Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015, 213-596-9005.

In Spring 2017, chef Jordan Kahn (Red Medicine) will open Vespertine, a fine dining destination in Culver City’s Hayden Tract across from his current breakfast/lunch spot, Destroyer. Collaborating with the new building’s architect, Eric Owen Moss, Kahn is inspired by ideas of architecture and the music of John Cage in his upcoming tasting menu that will be priced at $250 per person. Vespertine, 3599 Hayden Ave., Culver City, CA 90232, no phone.

A new location of Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern (JFAT) has opened in Santa Monica. Expect regional American cuisine with an artisanal touch for lunch, brunch and dinner. Featured dishes include whiskey shrimp; sirloin & black bean chili; the Cowboy burger with onion fritters, bacon and cheddar; fried chicken; baby-back ribs and grilled rib-eye. Also find a wide selection of beer in bottles and on tap, wine and cocktails like the Cucumber Cooler and Gin Gin Mule. Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern, 1733 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401, 424-292-5222.

The first American outpost of Chengdu Impression has opened in Arcadia, bringing authentic Sichuan cuisine and an expansive, airy, modern dining room to Angelenos. This 37th branch of the restaurant features six chefs straight from Chengdu, China. Look for a $45, 11-course Chef’s Tasting Meal that includes mapo tofu, wheat buns with spicy beef, chicken with Sichuan green peppercorn sauce and the signature eight-hour pork belly. Upstairs is a special Sichuan tea room. Lunch & Dinner daily. Chengdu Impression, 21 E. Huntington Dr., Arcadia, CA 91006, no phone.

Bacari GDL has opened in Glendale at The Americana at Brand. Look for fire-roasted and Mediterranean dishes from executive chef/owner Lior Hillel. Small plates range from oxtail with doah spice, toasted buckwheat and shaved radish to banana prawns with pipel chuma, farro and parsley salad. Handcrafted pastas and pizzas include the likes of foie gras Cresto de Gallo pasta with shaved terrine, onion jam, house-made ricotta, chervil and bacon, and double cream Brie pizza with organic tomato sauce and fresh jalapeño. Expect craft cocktails alongside a curated selection of beer and wine. This is the third location of the Venetian tavern concept; the others are Bacari PDR and Bacaro L.A. Lunch & Dinner daily. Bacari GDL, The Americana at Brand, 757 Americana Way, Glendale, CA 91210, 818-696-1460.

The folks behind Peruvian favorite Los Balcones in Hollywood have opened The Parker Room in the former space of Chavela Comida y Sangria. This cozy cocktail lounge pays tribute to the site's history as a jazz club where legends like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis once played. The Parker Room, 1358 Vine St., Hollywood, CA 90028, 323-745-0041.

French pastry chef Dominique Ansel, chef/owner of Dominique Ansel Bakery and Dominique Ansel Kitchen, announced he'll be opening a bakery and full-service restaurant in Los Angeles. (The address has not yet been confirmed.) Patrons routinely line up for his famous invention the "Cronut," a half croissant-half doughnut. His other signature creations include "Frozen S'mores" and "Cookie Shots."

Tower 12 is the new beach-town casual kitchen and bar from chef Brendan Collins (Birch), opening in February 2017. The space will feature vintage relics, furnishings and artwork that reflect the neighborhood’s laid-back surf and beach culture and history. A California-inspired menu looks to update American classics including shareable bar bites, wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, salads and entrées. Located on a second story deck with ocean views, the restaurant will have a wraparound, wooden outdoor balcony. Tower 12, Hermosa Pier, 53 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach, CA 90254, no phone.

The Federal Bar’s New Cocktail Hideaway In the NoHo Arts District The Federal Bar has launched its new upstairs cocktail hideaway, “The Salon.” The cocktail menu is the brainchild of mixologist Damian Windsor (The Roger Room), offering classics and signature variations. Look for the Horse’s Neck, a version of a mule with Laird’s applejack, ginger beer, Angostura bitters and citrus oil, and the Suissesse, an old New Orleans-style cocktail that combines absinthe, crème de menthe, cream, egg white, grated almond and mint. Lush décor features velour wallpaper and brick walls, lounge seating in a library with red velvet drapes, a baby grand piano, Edison lighting and a wood bar that adjoins an island bar. Call ahead to make sure the lounge is open, since performances in the adjacent showroom sometimes take priority. Guests can generally count on cocktails Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 8 p.m. until late hours. The Salon at The Federal Bar, 5303 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601, 818-980-2555.

The Los Angeles Times Launches Food Bowl The Los Angeles Times has launched Food Bowl, which will celebrate L.A.’s food scene throughout the month of May and promote social awareness about food waste and hunger. From May 1-31, hundreds of events will be on the schedule via programs with restaurants, chefs, bars, coffee shops, food trucks, hotels and markets. Night Market, happening May 10-14, will bring an outdoor dining experience to Grand Park that will include 50 restaurants and food trucks, drinks and live entertainment each evening. The Times Food staff, including Jonathan Gold, will host events during the festival. The lineup of events and charity partners will be announced on April 1. Visit the official site for updates on the L.A. Times Food Bowl.

James Beard Foundation to Announce 2017 Awards Nominees at a.o.c. The James Beard Foundation will announce the 2017 James Beard Foundation Awards nominees at a live press conference at a.o.c., the wine bar/restaurant from Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne, on March 15, 2017. The event will take place at 9 a.m. and will be streamed via the James Beard Foundation's Facebook Live channel. The 2017 James Beard Awards Gala will take place on May 1, 2017, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. For more information, visit the official website. a.o.c., 8700 W. Third St., Los Angeles, CA 90048, 310-859-9859.

CHEF SHUFFLE

Check back soon for more news.

CLOSINGS

After 62 years, the iconic Trader Vic’s has sadly said aloha at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills. The space will be revamped into a new, yet unannounced, concept. There are still 18 other Trader Vic’s locations around the world to visit, though the closest one to LA is in Emeryville, Calif. Trader Vic's, The Beverly Hilton, 9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210, no phone.

Atwater Village is losing longtime favorite Canelé in May 2017 due to rising rents. It’s reported that Gjelina duo David Wilcox and Guy Tabibian will open their restaurant Journeymen in the space, focusing on seasonal vegetable dishes. Canelé, 3219 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90039, 323-666-7133.

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